1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a waterproof connector of a compact multipolar type that has an enhanced waterproof nature between a connector housing assembly and a plurality of electric wires provided with terminals attached to their ends.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Such a type of waterproof connector is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 10-60096 filed in Japan by the assignee of the present application.
This waterproof connector comprises: a connector housing assembly having a terminal accommodating cavity and a number of separated wire leading cavities which communicate with outside via a number of diameter-reduced wire insertion holes formed in an outer wall of the housing assembly and with the terminal accommodating cavity via a number of diameter-reduced wire insertion holes formed in an inner wall of the housing assembly; a number of waterproof rubber plugs fitted watertight in the wire leading cavities and formed with wire leading holes; a number of female terminals set in positions in the terminal accommodating cavity; and a number of insulated electric wires provided through the wire insertion holes at the outer end, the wire leading holes in the rubber plugs and the wire insertion holes at the inner end, and connected at their ends to the terminals.
The housing assembly comprises a synthetic-resin-made inner housing, a synthetic-resin-made outer housing loose-fitted on the inner housing, and a synthetic-resin-made spacer inserted tight between the inner and outer housings. The outer housing has a rear wall portion constituting the above-mentioned outer wall formed with the wire insertion holes at the outer end, and the spacer has a rear wall portion constituting the above-mentioned inner wall formed with the wire insertion holes at the inner end. The inner housing and the spacer as well as the outer housing have their front end faces exposed outside.
The terminal accommodating cavity is defined by the inner housing and the spacer, and is partitioned by walls into a number of terminal accommodation chambers for accommodating therein the female terminals. The wire leading cavities are defined by the outer housing and the spacer, and are sealed with the rubber plugs fitted therein.
The outer housing may be damaged for external causes, such as by undue forces, and may be replaced with new one. However, the waterproof connector has sealing rubber plugs, and such replacement needs cutting electric wires connected to female terminals or disconnecting the wires from the terminals before removal of the damaged outer housing or after disassembly of entire connector housing, as well as reconnecting the wires to the terminals before re-assembly of the connector housing. Such services for maintenance takes a significant amount of man-hours.
The present invention has been achieved with such points in view.
It therefore is an object of the present invention to provide a waterproof connector improved for replacement of a damaged outer housing member, by a possible partial replacement, with an eliminated redundancy for wire disconnection and reconnection, without the need of disassembling and reassembling an entire connector.
To achieve the object, an aspect of the present invention provides a waterproof connector comprising an outer housing member having a hollow, and an inner connector assembly independently waterproof, removably fitted in the hollow and disengageably locked to the outer housing member.
According to this aspect of the invention, an outer housing member may be solely damaged. However, an inner connector assembly can be disengaged from the damaged outer housing member, to be wholly removed out of a hollow of the outer housing member. Then, the inner connector assembly, which is independently waterproof, can be fitted in a hollow of a new outer housing member, to be locked to this outer housing member. Accordingly, there is achieved the object described.
Another aspect of the invention provides a waterproof connector comprising a combination of a terminal, a waterproof rubber member and an electric wire provided through the waterproof rubber member and connected to the terminal, an inner housing accommodating the terminal, and an outer housing accommodating the inner housing and the waterproof rubber member, the outer housing comprising a first housing member enclosing the waterproof rubber member and fixed to the inner housing, the first housing member being formed with a wire insertion hole for the electric wire to be lead therethrough, and a second housing member removably fitted on and disengageably locked to the first housing member.
According to this aspect of the invention, a first housing member is cooperative with an inner housing and a combination of a terminal, a water seal rubber member and an electric wire to constitute an independently waterproof inner connector assembly, and a second housing member serves as an outer housing member.
Another aspect of the invention provides a waterproof connector including an inner housing formed with terminal accommodation chambers for accommodating therein terminals at ends of electric wires, and an outer housing in which the inner housing is fitted and which has, in opposition to the terminal accommodation chambers, outside locations of a bottom wall portion formed with wire insertion holes and, at inside locations of the bottom wall portion opposite to the wire insertion holes, rubber plug reception recesses for receiving waterproof rubber plugs for sealing the terminal accommodation chambers, wherein the outer housing comprises an inner wall portion integrated with the bottom wall portion, the inner wall portion having an accommodation space for the inner housing to be fitted therein, and an outer wall portion separated from an assembly of the inner wall portion and the bottom wall portion, to be provided thereabout in a spaced manner relative to the inner wall portion, the outer wall portion being removably attached to the assembly.
According to this aspect of the invention, an outer housing is divided into an inner wall portion and an outer wall portion to be arranged in an inside and outside relationship, and an inner housing is fitted in the inner wall portion. The inner wall portion is responsible for provision of places for wire insertion and a base for fixation of terminals connected to electric wires, etc. Necessary functions for waterproof connection are confined within the inner wall portion.
The outer wall portion provided outside the inner wall portion surrounds the inner wall portion, and is adapted to be attached to and detached from the inner wall portion. The outer wall portion constitutes an outermost member of a connector housing assembly, which is liable to receive external forces acting on the connector. The outer wall portion may be damaged or broken, but can be removed from the inner wall portion, to be replaced with a new one to provide a complete waterproof connector.
Connector components within the inner wall portion are left as they have been, and kept intact from maintenance services, such as for wire cutting and disconnection from terminals. Reassembling work of an entire connector is unnecessary, either.